


Poor Little Man

by rhodrymavelyne



Series: Scenes From Hannibal's Trial [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26735830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhodrymavelyne/pseuds/rhodrymavelyne
Summary: Once again Frederick Chlton is holding court in the witness stand. Alas he’s starting to repeat himself and not impressing his audience…
Relationships: Alana Bloom/Hannibal Lecter, Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Alana Bloom/Will Graham, Frederick Chilton/Will Graham, Miriam Lass/Clarice Starling, Miriam Lass/Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, hannibal lecter/frederick chilton
Series: Scenes From Hannibal's Trial [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945918
Kudos: 4





	Poor Little Man

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second part of Scenes From Hannibal's Trial which is more three interconnected stories than a series, all taking place during Hannibal's trial, which I'm not making at all realistic. I'm hoping to make this more in keeping with Will's trial during Hassun. I don't own Hannibal but for months it has owned me.

Gone was the slumped, defeated man she’d accused of the Ripper’s crimes. Once again Dr. Frederick Chilton was the sleek, smug professional, holding court that he’d during Will Graham’s trial. 

Ms. Vega had to admire the doctor’s ability to bounce back from injury along with public shame. Frederick Chilton would have made an admirable attorney. Only he was using the very same words to describe Hannibal Lecter that he’d used to describe Will Graham.

“There is not a word to describe what Hannibal Lecter is.” He allowed his gaze to flicker from Will Graham to the accused. 

Busy working on his book and he wasn’t the only one. In the audience Freddie Lounds was listening avidly, taking mental notes with her eyes and ears. 

“You said the same thing about Will Graham.” Might as well direct attention to this similarity. 

“A clever performance on Hannibal Lecter’s part using psychic driving and intimacy. When Will Graham finally trusted me enough to let me inside his head, I started to see the truth.” Frederick Chilton fixed his attention upon the man he spoke of. “While Will Graham is driven by vanity, it’s more a vanity that leads itself to isolation than murder. He allowed himself to be vulnerable to Hannibal Lecter. He allowed himself to be shaped by him.” He dropped his head a bit. “We all did.”

“Which is how he got to you.” Ms. Vega prompted, glancing at Byron Metcalf.

“Hannibal invited me into his home. He convinced me he was a colleague as well as a friend. He encouraged me in ways my other colleagues hadn’t.” He flickered a single, accusing gaze at Dr. Bloom. “Hannibal Lecter can be very charming, using that charm to exploit others, to get to know them, and ultimately to use them. Thus he used Jack Crawford, Dr. Bloom, Will Graham, and the entire Behavioural Science department.” He allowed his attention to settle upon Miriam Lass. “Thus he used us all.”

Miriam Lass dropped her head, unable to look at Frederick Chilton’s face, which was a reconstructed illusion. 

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Ms. Vega turned away. “No further questions.”

“Dr. Chilton.” Byron Metcalfe rose, eyeing the psychiatrist like a bird of prey eyeing a particularly juicy squirrel. “You said Dr. Lecter encouraged you in ways your other colleagues hadn’t. Elaborate on that encouragment.”

Dr. Chilton squirmed, not looking at the lawyer or Hannibal Lecter. “I had some ideas which were unorthodox. Hannibal Lecter didn’t dismiss them out of hand.”  


“Ideas that were unorthodox. Such as psychic driving Abel Gideon into thinking he was the Chesapeake Ripper?”

“How can anyone say what Abel Gideon was thinking?” Dr. Chilton flared up with a sudden show of temper. “The man is dead! He was left half-eaten in my guest room. And this man grabbed me and drugged me before the F.B.I. arrived!” He pointed an accusing finger at Hannibal Lecter. “He left their bodies, disembowled in my home, and let me take the blame for it, just as I took the bullet!”

“Order!” the judge warned, but the doctor had lost complete control of his temper. 

“And why? So you could get your little plaything out of my hospital and have him to yourself again?” He swung his finger in Will Graham’s direction. “Well, you couldn’t keep him, Hannibal, any more than you could keep Abigail Hobbs! You can’t keep anybody!”

“Order!” the judge yelled.

“Forgive me,” Dr. Chilton slumped in his seat. “That was unprofessional, but that is what this man reduces us to. Unprofessional wrecks of ourselves.” He shot another glance at Will Graham. “Anyone who was wise would stay clear of Hannibal Lecter’s orbit, his influence, if he can.”

Will Graham dropped his head. Once again he was avoiding everyone’s gazes. 

For the first time, Dr. Lecter looked at Dr. Chilton, really looked at him. There was a measuring, cold anger in his dark eyes, the hint of a far deeper fury. 

Frederick Chilton seemed to shrink in on himself, slumping into the witness’s seat. Sweat beaded his forehead. 

Poor man, Ms Vega thought. Poor little man. He profiles monsters and this monster has gotten a taste of him. The only reason Hannibal Lecter hadn’t eaten Dr. Chilton was he didn’t care enough to do so. Now Frederick Chilton was caught in his web, had hitched his career and fame to a psychiatric status symbol whom didn’t even acknowledge him. 

Pathetic as he was, Ms. Vega couldn’t help pitying Chilton over that.


End file.
